At kilometer 35 along the road to San Juan Opico in La Libertad
Department

The Park Offers:

A Maya settlement of circa AD 650 preserved by a volcanic
eruption. There are 10 prehispanic structures exposed, including
2 houses, 2 storehouses, a kitchen, and a temascal (sauna).

Site museum.

Parking, picnic area, snack bar.

Operating Hours:

Tuesday through Sunday, 9am to 4pm (closed on Monday).

Fees:

$1.00 / Salvadorans, $3.00 / foreigners.

$1.00 / cars, $2.00 / buses

Entrance is free for Salvadorans under 8 and over 60 years
of age.

Other Central Americans subject to same fees as Salvadorans.

Recommendations:

Your visit to Joya de Cerén can take
about an hour, including the museum and the guided tour of the
site. Although most of the walk is under the shade of trees
or roofs, conditions are usually warm and humid. Insect repellant
may prove useful.

The
Joya de Cerén Archaeological Park

In recognition of its importance, in 1993 Joya de Cerén
was inscribed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. It is the only
World Heritage Site in El Salvador.

Site
Discovery

This area originally formed part of the San Andrés hacienda,
one of the larger landholdings in the Zapotitán Valley of western El Salvador.
In the mid-twentieth century, the portion known as Joya de Cerén was sold
to the government for an early experiment in agrarian reform. "Cerén"
is a surname, while "Joya" is an archaic Spanish term still
used in El Salvador to refer to a pocket or small valley with fertile
soil amid hilly terrain.

Diverse versions have circulated concerning the discovery
of this archaeological site. Fortunately, a key participant still works
for the Salvadoran government and provided first-hand information in an
interview conducted in 1989. The following narration is based on this
and other information from verifiable sources.

In 1976, the government broke ground for a grain storage
facility. The area was leveled by bulldozer, scraping off several meters
(yards) of layered volcanic deposits in order to erect the facility on
the firmer underlying soil. As this preparatory work neared completion,
it exposed a site that had been entirely buried by 4 meters (13 feet)
or more of these volcanic deposits, leaving no hint of its existence on
the surface. The construction supervisor notified the Department of Archaeology
of the Administración del Patrimonio Cultural (the government's cultural
organ of the time).

Manuel López (then of the Department of Archaeology and
currently with the Ministry of Foreign Relations) was sent to inspect
the discovery. López recounts that he found that the grading work had
already been completed at time of notification. The machinery had strewn
numerous ceramic fragments across the area, including many examples of
the well-known diagnostic of the Late Classic period (AD 600-900), Copador
Polychrome. The construction crew told of small earthen structures that
had been exposed - and destroyed. This was fortuitously verified by the
fact that two structures remained visible, having been partially sectioned
in one of the cuts along the property line. Each had a basal platform,
and one showed a wattle-and-daub ("bahareque") wall. So it was
evident to López that this was a Late Classic site with structures preserved
under volcanic ash. He recorded it as Joya de Cerén. While the potential
importance of this discovery was of course recognized, the destruction
was done, the surrounding site area consisted of farm land with no other
construction work on the horizon, and the Department of Archaeology was
saturated with pressing projects at the time, operating with a dearth
of human and material resources.

Two years later, in 1978, archaeologist Payson Sheets initiated
the Protoclassic Project, whose principal activity consisted of a stratified
random survey of 15% of the Zapotitán Valley. While thus engaged, project
members were informed of the discovery of Joya de Cerén by an archaeologist
working for the Department of Archaeology (Richard Crane). Sheets added
the investigation of Joya de Cerén to the activities of the Protoclassic
Project and supervised the beginning of excavation there in March, 1978,
while project member Christian Zier continued the work from April through
May of the same year. The two structures sectioned by the construction
cut were partially excavated and the results firmly established the importance
of Joya de Cerén: like Pompeii, the volcanic eruption "froze"
a moment of time at this ancient Maya village. Structure 1 (with wattle-and-daub
walls) was determined to be a house and in it were found tools and even
toys. Structure 2 (later renamed as Structure 5) was an unwalled work
platform. Both had roofs of grass thatching which had burned and collapsed
as a thick layer during the eruption. Thatch samples were used for radiocarbon
analysis, and together with results from later excavations (as evaluated
by archaeologist Brian McKee) indicate a near-terminal date between AD
610 and 670 (calibrated, 2 sigma). Ridged agricultural fields nearly abutted
the structures and the overlying volcanic ash preserved casts of maize
plants.

A view of the first excavations
at Joya de Cerén (1978) carried out by Payson Sheets and Christian
Zier, in which the two structures sectioned by bulldozer were studied.
To the left is Structure 1, a house (a person is in the doorway, and
the large hole behind him was blasted in a wall during the eruption).
On the right is Structure 2 (now renamed as Structure 5, here partially
covered with plastic), an open platform which apparently served as
a workplace. The only human remains found to date at this site consist
of two burials. One burial was found beneath this platform but unfortunately
had been mostly destroyed by the bulldozer. A path between the two
structures was marked with a few stone slabs. This photograph shows
how the tephra (ash and other airborne volcanic materials) accumulated
in layers which piled against Structure 1 like a snow bank before
covering it completely. These structures were built on a soil weakly
developed from the white ash deposited from the Ilopango eruption
(5th century AD), and about 30 centimeters of this ash may be observed
in the cut beneath the house.

Later studies at Joya de Cerén have shown
that the Ilopango ash also covered evidence of human activity predating
these structures, so far represented only by a few scattered sherds
of Late Preclassic pottery. Joya de Cerén also had a very late occupation.
Just under the present ground level (at the top of this cut) are prehispanic
remains probably dating to shortly before the Spanish conquest (in
the Late Postclassic period, AD 1200-1524). These include a probable
residential feature and the second human burial currently known at
the site, both of which were impacted, ironically, during the use
of a bulldozer to facilitate the excavation of the Classic period
structures. This would be one of the only Pipil burials excavated
to date. The Pipil were of Mexican origin and, by the eve of the conquest,
dominated most of the western half of the territory of El Salvador
(photo from the Joya de Cerén site museum).

In 1979-1980, Sheets surveyed parts of Joya de Cerén with remote sensing
equipment, including ground penetrating radar and soil resistivity, in
order to locate anomalies which could represent deeply buried structures.
In this and subsequent studies, ground penetrating radar has proved particularly
effective for locating possible structures, ridged agricultural fields,
and for describing the pre-eruption topography of the site.

Excavations were resumed in 1989 and continued until 1996, during which
time Sheets and his team excavated a total of 11 structures, and 6 more
have been located but not excavated. Remote sensing suggests the existence
of perhaps several dozen more.

In 1996, the cultural authorities (specifically, the Dirección Nacional
de Patrimonio Cultural within CONCULTURA) imposed a moratorium on excavations
at Joya de Cerén. The structures excavated up to that time were showing
progressive deterioration and it was reasoned that no others should be
exposed until a solution was found to ensure their preservation. It has
been shown, however, that reburial is very effective in preserving excavated
structures here. When FUNDAR assumed the co-administration of Joya de
Cerén in 2005, the moratorium was lifted at our request and, in a meeting
with the head of the Department of Archaeology, we invited Sheets to continue
excavations at the site, offering to finance workers and to provide tools
and other materials.

The limits of Joya de Cerén have yet to be firmly identified. It has
been suggested that the site could measure some 5 hectares (12 acres)
or more in extent; if so, only 2% or less of the site area has been excavated
to date. Future investigations will undoubtedly yield many surprises in
the 98% of the site as yet unknown.

How the Park
was Established

In 1989, with the spectacular discovery of 3 structures by Sheets and
his team, Ricardo Recinos became involved in supporting the excavations
with unbridled enthusiasm, helping to support the project with donations
ranging from buckets to tarps for protecting the delicate structures which
were being excavated in the rainy season. The project had proposed to
end with the construction of protective roofs over two structures and
the opening of a site museum. As the final day approached, however, Sheets
informed that he was going to rebury the structures. There were to be
no roofs, no museum. Reburial was, without a doubt, the best option if
the structures were not to be roofed.

Recinos sprung into action. As a board member of the Patronato Pro-Patrimonio
Cultural (a now-defunct NGO), Recinos managed to convince his fellow
directors to "adopt" Joya de Cerén, and with the end of the
1989 excavation season the Patronato installed the first protective roofs
over the three exposed prehispanic structures. Starting with that action,
the Patronato worked with the government to aquire land, install permanent
roofs, open a site museum, and support several seasons of investigations
led by Sheets. The Patronato's work culminated in 1993 with the inauguration
of the Joya de Cerén Archaeological Park.

1993 also marked Joya de Cerén's inscription by UNESCO to the List of
World Heritage.

The Patronato co-managed Joya de Cerén through 2004.

FUNDAR began its participation in the co-management of Joya de Cerén
in mid-2004 under the Government's PTR
program. At that time, the officials from CONCULTURA described Joya
de Cerén as being in a state of "crass negligence". These conditions,
and the improvements made by FUNDAR through December, 2009, are documented
here under the section Park Improvements.

A storehouse with its walls fallen
like a house of cards (Structure 7) and, in the background, a temascal
or sweat lodge (Structure 9). Access to this area of Joya de Cerén was,
for reasons unknown, formerly "restricted" (accessible only
for VIP visits). FUNDAR opened it for public viewing in 2005.

Joya de Cerén is located in the
fertile Zapotitán Valley (the arrow points at the site).

Joya de
Cerén: A World Heritage Site

Joya de Cerén is a unique site in Mesoamerica by virtue
of having been a living settlement that was covered by a sudden volcanic
eruption. Its extraordinary importance merited the inclusion of Joya de
Cerén in the List of World Heritage.

UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization) maintains a catalogue of natural and/or cultural
sites of outstanding importance which is called the List of World Heritage.
Sites are nominated by state parties. UNESCO evaluates nominations in
periodic meetings, applying strict criteria in order to decide if a site
merits inscription to the list.

In 1992, CONCULTURA began the process of nominating Joya
de Cerén as a World Heritage Site, charging its then employees Manuel
López and Paul Amaroli with the tasks of completing forms and appending
the necessary information. The nomination was accepted by UNESCO in 1993.

In your visit to Joya de Cerén, you
will be accompanied by one of the park's three bilingual (Spanish - English)
guides. They are identified by their yellow uniforms. From left to right:
Archaeologist Karen Bruhns and guides María de los Ángeles Dimas Cruz,
Carmen Mercedes Polanco Olivares and Roselia Duarte de Granados.

In
the Shadow of Volcanoes: A Necessary Introduction to the Archaeology of
El Salvador

Joya de Cerén is one of many instances known in El Salvador where volcanic
eruptions have affected human activity in the past. This brief overview
may prove useful in order to better appreciate the wider context of Joya
de Cerén.

The territory of El Salvador is one of the most volcanic landscapes on
Earth. The Isthmus of Central America was built by volcanic activity,
and over the eons ash and other eruptive materials have weathered to form
soils famed for their fertility.

This is, however, a living landscape. There have been many eruptions
documented since the Spanish conquest (1524), and geological studies have
identified numerous prehistoric events during the past several thousand
years. Over the millennia, the human population living in the shadow of
these volcanoes has had to cope, adapt, or perish. And sometimes, as with
the enormous Ilopango eruption (5th century AD) which severely affected
about 3,000 square kilometers (1,200 square miles), any desperate effort
to survive would have been futile for the many thousands who were engulfed
by such catastrophic events.

Lake Ilopango is located in central El Salvador.
Several eruptions have originated from beneath its waters. The last one
was only yesterday in geological terms, lasting from December, 1879 to
January, 1880, and was fortunately a minor event. The huge 5th century
AD eruption was a human and ecological disaster that affected about 3,000
square kilometers (1,200 square miles). The hallmark of this eruption
is its distinctive white and finely textured ash, known as "tierra
blanca", and distinguished in geological and archaeological studies
as "Tierra Blanca Joven" or TBJ for short.

The topic of ancient humans and volcanic eruptions has been a constant
in Salvadoran archaeology since its formal inception in the early 20th
century. In 1917, Jorge Lardé discovered a cultural stratum exposed by
a road cut in flank of Cerro El Zapote (a hill located in the southern
part of the capital city). The stratum had been buried under the white
ash of a then unknown eruption (it was later recognized as TBJ from Ilopango).
Together with Archaeologist Samuel Lothrop, Lardé continued his investigation
of this discovery in 1926. At the San Andrés site, excavations between
1940-1941 conducted by John Dimick revealed an almost superficial layer
of tuff (consolidated volcanic ash) which had fallen on the structures
some time after the site's abandonment (this deposit is called San Andrés
Tuff or "Toba San Andrés"), while in his deepest excavations
he found a layer of white volcanic ash covering a cultural stratum, just
as Lardé had noted years before. It was during the same decade of the
1940s that Archaeologist Stanley Boggs found a similar situation in the
early construction stages at the Tazumal site.

In the course of salvage excavations prior to construction of the Cerrón
Grande reservoir (1974-1976, with Boggs as general director), two notable
discoveries were made beneath the TBJ ash of Ilopango: a circular pyramid,
and an agricultural field marked by ridges and furrows. Since that time
over 20 similar fields have been found covered by TBJ in the area of San
Salvador, the Zapotitán Valley and Chalchuapa. It is suspected that they
were for maize, though no direct evidence of this has yet been found.

Construction for a new roads and subdivisions
has exposed many ancient agricultural fields with ridges and furrows which
were covered by the white TBJ volcanic ash from the Ilopango eruption.
Here Sonia González provides scale at a field exposed during the widening
of the Calle a Huizucar in southern San Salvador. The soil of this field
is dark brown. Note the modern corn field above.

A tragedy for Salvadoran archaeology was the 1984 destruction of an entire
settlement that had been buried under the Ilopango TBJ ash. It was apparently
the equivalent of another Joya de Cerén, but about two centuries older.
This site was exposed and destroyed by bulldozers grading for the La Cima
subdivision in southwestern San Salvador.

In the 1990s, construction work in the municipality of Antiguo Cuscatlán
exposed maize fields of considerably greater antiquity than those under
TBJ ash. Studies indicate they were buried by a relatively minor eruption
around 800 BC. These rank amongst the earliest preserved agricultural
fields in Mesoamerica.

One of the ancient maize fields exposed by construction
in the jurisdiction of Antiguo Cuscatlán. This field was on a strongly
reddish-brown soil, and casts of maize plants were found on its surface.
Radiocarbon analyses indicate a date of about 800 BC for this field. It
was covered by layers of dark gray volcanic ash erupted from the nearby
crater of Plan de la Laguna (now the location of several factories). As
the level string shows, this field has a moderate decline towards the
left (north). The yellow tape measure is extended to one meter. Rows in
present-day corn fields are planted about a pace apart, and this appears
to have been the practice since nearly 3,000 years ago.

Colonial features have also been studied which were buried by the 1658
eruption of the small El Playón Volcano situated at the eastern end of
the Zapotitán Valley. In addition to ash, this eruption spewed lava which
flowed about 8 kilometers (5 miles) northward, forcing the Pipil town
of Nejapa to be abandoned. The ash fall choked the Sucio River, which
as the valley's main drainage quickly led to the formation of a temporary
lake (the small body of water known as the Laguna de Zapotitán, which
was drained in the 20th century, may have been a remnant of this event).
After several days the accumulated water broke through the ash, causing
a raging flash flood (lahar) downstream that deposited a thick layer of
volcanic mud. In 1995, while carrying out test excavations in preparation
for the new museum at San Andrés, Paul Amaroli discovered an indigo processing
facility ("obraje de añil") which had been covered by over 4
meters (yards) of this volcanic mud.

The ancient community of Joya de Cerén was buried by an otherwise inconsequential
eruption that has been studied by Dan Miller and other geologists. The
"Loma Caldera" eruption took place between approximately AD
610-670 and apparently issued forth from a vent located about 600 meters
north of Joya de Cerén. The tephra (airborne materials) ranged from fine
ash to gravelly "lapilli", with intermittent large volcanic
bombs. In a relatively short time (judged to be as little as a few hours,
or at most a few days), several layers of these materials covered the
site, totaling about 4 to 8 meters (13-26 feet) in thickness. The tephra
from the Loma Caldera eruption only reached about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles)
from its source.

Visitors to Joya de Cerén often ask if any victims of the eruption have
been found in the excavations. Small victims have been discovered: the
three storehouses studied to date contained the remains of a few mice
and of a duck (whose remains are displayed in the site museum). Weevils
were found with stored maize and beans. Several small birds have also
been found in outdoor areas, killed in flight (or while perched) as often
ocurrs during volcanic eruptions. But human victims have yet to be found.
In Miller's evaluation, this eruption began with a series of earthquakes
and direct evidence from the site shows their effects at the very onset
of this event (part of the cornice of Structure 3 broke off and fell on
a ground surface where only a tiny amount of tephra had accumulated).
It is likely that with earthquakes and the onset of tephra fall, the denizens
of Joya de Cerén lost no time in evacuating the area. Whether or not they
were able to flee beyond the lethal area of the eruption is something
that only future investigations can resolve.

The
Ancient Community of Joya de Cerén and its Setting

Several scholars agree that from the Middle Preclassic period (900-500
BC) on, the territories of western El Salvador and adjacent southern Guatemala
constituted an important Maya subregion. The Maya stelae bearing the oldest
Long Count dates currently known have been found in this area, and by
the Late Preclassic (500 BC - AD 250), the region hosted several important
centers which were probably the capitals of early kingdoms, such as Takalik
Abaj, Monte Alto, Chocolá and, exceptional for both its size and complexity,
the huge site of Kaminaljuyú. On the basis of iconography and epigraphy,
Federico Fahsen has proposed that the inhabitants of this subregion may
have been ancestral to the Maya ethnolinguistic group called Cholan.

In western El Salvador, these early Maya are represented at several sites,
foremost of which is the Chalchuapa archaeological zone. Archaeological
studies have shown that Chalchuapa is one of the most ancient continuously
occupied communities known (and is possibly the most ancient of all),
reaching back without interruptions to 1200 BC, and perhaps as far as
3000 BC. By the Late Preclassic a large center had emerged, known as El
Trapiche/Casa Blanca, with evidence of warfare (over 30 victims of sacrifice
found in a single context) and an early Maya stela. Many other contemporaneous
settlements existed in the western half of Salvadoran territory, but life
was interrupted - or terminated - with the gigantic Ilopango eruption
in the 5th century AD. The eruption deposited huge quantities of fine
white ash (called "tierra blanca joven" or TBJ), reaching about
50 meters (160 feet) in thickness next to its source (Lake Ilopango),
and up to roughly 20 meters (65 feet) in the area of San Salvador. Even
as far as Chalchuapa, 75 kilometers (about 45 miles) from the source,
about 50 centimeters (20 inches) of TBJ fell. Archaeological investigations
show that the inhabitants of Chalchuapa endured this major inconvenience,
but much of western El Salvador was left, in the words of Archaeologist
Stanley Boggs, "like a white desert". The Ilopango eruption
ranks as one of the world's largest volcanic events in the past 10,000
years.

This was the case of the Zapotitán Valley, where Joya de Cerén and San
Andrés are located. This is one of the major valleys of El Salvador, renowned
for its fertile soils (which sadly are now being covered with subdivisions
and factories). After a century or so, the sterile TBJ had weathered sufficiently
to sustain agriculture, and a wave of recolonization spread from places
like Chalchuapa that had survived the disaster. It was then (around AD
500-550) that some 200 or 300 Maya communities were established in the
Zapotitán Valley, including Joya de Cerén and San Andrés. It is interesting
to note that vestiges of pre-Ilopango settlements have been found beneath
both of these sites.

While San Andrés grew to become a regional capital with an extension
of over 2 square kilometers (0.8 square miles), Joya de Cerén was, during
its brief existence, a relatively small community and possibly tributary
to San Andrés. The total area of Joya de Cerén has yet to be accurately
determined.

Archaeology at Joya de Cerén is often compared to that of Pompeii, where
a sudden volcanic eruption "froze" a moment of time which we
can study in exceptionally rich detail. This is also the case at Joya
de Cerén, where volcanic tephra covered houses and other structures as
well as surrounding farmland, preserving them to a degree unparalleled
in Mesoamerica. Perishable materials, such as seeds, wooden artifacts,
basketry, and recipients made of tree gourds may here be studied as casts
(which can be filled with dental plaster) or as carbonized but complete
specimens. In some rare hermetically sealed circumstances, objects (such
as cacao seeds in Structure 4) have actually been found preserved intact.
The information gleaned from Joya de Cerén has been revolutionary in understanding
the daily life of the ancient Maya.

Discoveries
at Joya de Cerén: Crops and Structures

Excavations at Joya de Cerén have discovered 11 structures and a variety
of crops.

Crops

Several different cultigens have been identified at Joya de Cerén and
have proved of great importance in understanding the complexity of ancient
Maya agriculture as practiced at a relatively small settlement. Agriculture
was intensive in the areas studied so far, with the cultivated landscape
virtually touching upon the structures.

To date, the most abundant cultigens found growing in fields are maize
(Zea mays of teh Nal-Tel/Chapalote variety) and manioc (Manihot
esculenta). In addition, either farmed or stored, the following crops
have been identified:

A total of 11 structures have been partially or completely excavated.
Structure numbers are assigned according to the order of their discovery.
There are 4 areas of excavation, or "operations", at Joya de
Cerén, which have also been referred to as "groups", which tends
to confuse visitors since two "groups" (3 and 4) have only one
structure each. Because of this, we have used the term "area"
for the purposes of interpretation.

Plan of Area 1 (adapted from the Joya de Cerén management
plan).

Plan of Area 2 (adapted from the Joya de Cerén management
plan).

Plan of Areas 3 and 4 (with Structures 3 and 4; adapted
from the Joya de Cerén management plan).

Below are short descriptions of most of the visible structures at Joya
de Cerén. All of the structures were built of earth. Contrary to expectations
about earthen architecture, the construction material used was not exceptionally
clay-rich. Roofs were of grass thatching supported on light wood frames.

Structure 1 (Area 1)

This was the house left sectioned by a construction cut in 1976 which
provided the first evidence for the existence and importance of Joya de
Cerén.

Structure 1, a house.

Structure 1 is in relatively poor condition. In 1976 most
of its porch was cut away by a bulldozer. After its partial excavation
in 1978, a modest tin roofed shelter provided some protection from the
rain, but by 1986 both the shelter and the excavation cut had collapsed,
breaking off the two front columns and the wattle-and-daub wall directly
behind them. The other three walls were found during the large scale excavation
of the site beginning in 1989. They had detached from the columns and
fallen on the ancient surface in graphic testimony of the violence of
the eruption. The fallen walls were unfortunately destroyed by the excavators
in order to examine the areas beneath them. More damage occurred when
this structure was subjected to an ill-advised experiment. Scalding-hot
sand was piled against the basal platform in an effort to quickly dry
it out; this caused generalized detachments of its surface, leading to
its present somewhat battered appearance.

Like most of the other known buildings at the site, Structure
1 consists of a basal platform with solid columns in each corner, and
wattle-and-daub walls running between the columns. It had a tiny porch
in front, with a door leading to its sole room, half of which was occupied
by a solid earth "bench" which (when covered with mats) would
have served as a bed. The basal platform, columns and bench were hand
modeled from moist earth - basically mud - and in at least one fractured
portion hand marks were visible left from the shaping process. In present-day
traditional houses (now very scarce), the purpose of basal platforms is
to elevate the floor level above the reach of moisture which can be a
problem during the rainy season.

It has been proposed that the typical household at Joya
de Cerén is represented by Structures 1 (a house, whose small size practically
limited its use to sleeping), 6 (a storehouse), and 11 (a kitchen). While
this may be a valid interpretation, to date it is the only example known
of this proposed domestic group.

In other contemporary sites, human burials have been found beneath and
adjacent to houses. These individuals were probably family members who
were once occupants of the houses. Although this is expected to be the
case at Joya de Cerén, the only excavation to date beneath a building
was at Structure 5 (sectioned by a bulldozer), where part of a human burial
was in fact present.

Structure 2 (Area 2)

This is the second of the two houses known at the site and is very similar
to Structure 1, although much better preserved. Its bench (bed) has a
niche where two bowls had been stored, one inverted over the other. The
interior of one of the bowls had a thin layer of food remains, which still
showed streak marks from fingers used to scoop up a last meal.

Left: Structure 2, with its porch
on the left and its bench (and its niche) on the right.

Right: The door of Structure 2 is still full
of volcanic tephra.

Structure 3 (Area 3)

This is the largest structure presently known at Joya de Cerén, and
it is thought that nearby Structure 13 (still unexcavated) is very similar;
they (and possibly additional structures) may form a plazuela group. Structure
3 was erected on a massive basal platform and has thick walls of modeled
earth. It has a rectangular floor plan with a single doorway centered
on one of its long sides. Its interior is divided in two rooms, with two
benches in the first, and niches and both rooms. Here, as in other structures,
broken handles salvaged from ceramic pots were affixed to the walls in
positions where they would have been useful for tying doors (such as a
sheet of cloth or cane bound with string), while others placed in the
corners may have been useful for hanging objects. The roof burned and
collapsed during the eruption and, when uncovered by excavation, it formed
an impressively thick layer of carbonized grass thatch in both rooms.
The roof was supported on several long posts located outside of the structure,
and these were found thrown to the ground and carbonized.

Structure 3.

Left: This
side of the structure was largely destroyed by a backhoe employed by Payson
Sheets in his 1989 excavations. The gouged wall may be noted.

Right: A view
of the 1989 excavation by Payson Sheets. This backhoe caused severe damage
to Structure 3 (the damaged portion is covered in plastic). Sheets (wearing
a dark shirt) appears above the cut on the right.

This structure was found nearly empty. A large pot was found on one of
the benches and a bowl had been perched on top of a wall. The sharp edges
of the exterior corners of the walls and basal platform gave the impression
that this structure had recently been finished when the eruption struck.
Its exterior walls are marked with undulating bands left by contact with
the layers of volcanic material.

The excavators of Structure 3, Andrea Gerstle and Payson Sheets, have
suggested that it functioned as a civic structure perhaps used by village
elders and their guests. We would suggest another possibility. Structure
3 fully (if modestly) adheres to the canons of elite residential architecture
as found at contemporaneous Maya sites such as Copán, both in its general
layout and in details such as niches, hangers, and large benches. Indeed,
in this regard the only salient exceptional trait of Structure 3 is that
it was built of earth, rather than earth, stone, and lime plaster. So
it is possible that Structures 3 and 13 may constitute an elite residential
compound.

Structure 6 (Area 1)

Structure 6 is relatively simple. It does not have a basal platform.
Only a single wall, that with the doorway, was of wattle-and-daub (bahareque),
while the other three walls were of cane with some mud slathered over
their bases. The structure contained several ceramic vessels, a mano and
metate, so-called "doughnut stones", and obsidian tools. Some
vessels were in use to store grain. The charred remains of a duck were
also found, as well as the skeletons of mice. Structure 6 is one of three
storehouses known at Joya de Cerén.

Structure 6 (a storehouse) and, in
the background, Structure 11 (a circular kitchen). The depression in the
corner of Structure 6 is a crater left by the impact of a volcanic bomb
during the eruption that buried Joya de Cerén.

Structure 9 (Area
2)

Sweat houses once formed part of households throughout Mesoamerica and
continue to be important for many Maya living in Guatemala and southern
Mexico. In Mesoamerican archaeology, these structures are usually referred
to with the term temascal, which is derived from the Nahuatl
word temazcalli. This type of building is called tuj
by the modern K'iché, Kaqchikel and Tz'utujil Maya of Guatemala, where
it is used for bathing, childbirth, and curing. Remains of temascals have
been found in many archaeological sites, with the notable discovery of
eight at Piedras Negras in northern Guatemala. One of the first archaeological
examples ever excavated was discovered by Antonio Sol in his 1929 excavations
at Cihuatán, El Salvador. But the temascal at Joya de Cerén (Structure
9) is by far the best preserved of all. Like other temascals, Structure
9 has a low entrance, through which the users entered crawling, in order
to keep heat inside. Its interior, which has only been partially excavated,
has a fire box made of river cobbles and earth mortar, surrounded by benches
surfaced with pieces of thin stone slabs. A small hole in the ceiling
helped for ventilation.

The temascal (Structure 9). During
the eruption, its dome-shaped roof was impacted by a volcanic bomb which
left the large hole visible here, and as the eruption progressed, the
roof fractured and sunk slightly under the weight of accumulated volcanic
material. The ventilation hole appears on the roof above the low doorway.

The temascal's roof was a major surprise: it is a dome,
made of wattle-and-daub, and originally protected from the rain under
a thatched shelter. It is the only dome yet known in Mesoamerican architecture.
The temascal has a basal platform and thick walls of modeled earth.

Structure 11 (Area 1)

This kitchen is circular and had walls of widely spaced cane which would
have helped ventilate its smoky interior. Within are the three stones
of the Mesoamerican hearth (nearly extinct in El Salvador - in Nahuizalco
the Náhuat-derived term for these stones, "los tenamashtes",
still survives). When it was excavated, Structure 11 was found to contain
a wooden shelf, several ceramic vessels for cooking and serving food,
"yaguales" (circles of twisted grass used to support round-bottomed
vessels), a metate, painted bowls made of tree gourds (jícaras de morro),
and several other artifacts.

Structure 11 (a kitchen) surrounded
by the ridges of a corn field. The three hearth stones may be seen to
the rear.

In the vernacular thatched architecture of El Salvador (nearly
extinct), kitchens were built at a short distance from houses. Kitchen
fires were fairly common, especially during strong winds, and the separation
helped ensure that the flames did not reach any dwellings.

Structure 12 (Area 1)

This is a unique structure. As in the two known houses, it has a basal
platform with corner columns, but the similarities end there. It has a
long porch with six niches, a lattice window, and remains of a modest
mural in its interior (representing red flowers or stars?). The structure
has two rooms, one small with a lattice window, and the other smaller
yet. Access to the larger room was notably labyrinthine. The principal
investigator of the site has proposed that Structure 12 may have been
the workplace of a female shaman.

The mural in Structure 12 is the only one known in the prehispanic architecture
of El Salvador. As we illustrate below, the mural was not identified by
the site's excavator and is now in very poor condition due to ill-advised
actions and lack of conservation.

The enigmatic Structure 12. The
lattice window of its porch is visible to the right.

Structure 12 originally had lattice
windows in its porch and in the larger of its two rooms. This photo (taken
in 1991) shows the room's window before its destruction in the 2001 earthquake.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 and caused the upper part of this
wall to collapse.

Structure 12 during its documentation
in 1996 by Manuel Murcia and Paul Amaroli for a conditions evaluation
report prepared for CONCULTURA. Murcia stands in front of the mural on
the eastern wall of the porch. Murcia was in charge of Joya de Cerén during
several years and contributed in many ways to Salvadoran archaeology.
He identified the mural in 1991, which curiously had not been noted during
the structure's excavation. It was described for the first time in the
1996 report.

ABOVE: Location of the mural in a
floor plan of Structure 12.

BELOW: The section A-A shown in the
floor plan. The mural consists of red paint applied on a light background.
Here the red color is represented by grey shading. Drawings from the report
of Murcia and Amaroli.

ABOVE: Photo taken in 1991. The arrow
indicates the portion of the mural exposed at that time.

BELOW: Detail of the same view from
1991. As can be seen, the mural was in relatively good condition. Most
of it was still covered by tephra.

ABOVE: The same view in 1996 (the
detail shown in the previous photo is to the left). Several things happened
to the mural between 1991 and 1996. It was completely exposed, cracks
were caulked and new plaster was applied to some areas. The mural has
lost the brilliance visible in the 1991 photo. The wall's dark tone is
due to its moist condition. From approximately 1994 through 2005 the structures
at Joya de Cerén were sprayed with water several times a week. It is most
regrettable that the mural was not recorded immediately following its
excavation when its details were much more evident, and that timely conservation
measures were never implemented.

ABAJO: The same view in 2009. The
mural is nearly invisible (here it is framed by a red rectangle). More
changes are visible: the floor has been filled up to the base of the mural,
including scraps of plastic and black geotextile. The former practice
of spraying the structures with water (suspended by FUNDAR) caused the
fragmentation and loss of the wall surface - including part of the mural
- at the juncture with the fill.

Detail photographed in 2009 of the
leftmost part of the mural after it was carefully moistened by Archaeologist
Claudia Ramírez. This helps make visible the remaining red pigment. The
lower portion has largely crumbled away due to the former practice of
spraying the structures with water. Ramírez is studying pigments and their
conservation on Joya de Cerén's structures.

Actions
of FUNDAR and the Government at Joya de Cerén

In 2005, FUNDAR began its collaboration with the Government
in the management of the Joya de Cerén Archaeological Park. As described
by government authorities, the park was then in a state of "crass
negligence". Between 2005 and 2009 (when FUNDAR decided to end its
participation in park management), several actions have been carried out
which have had a positive impact at the park, including:

Improvements in the conservation of the ancient structures.

Extensive repairs to damaged roofs which protect the archaeological
structures.

Construction of new roofs for protection of the structures.

Zonification of use of the park, improving the security of the archaeological
areas.

Greatly extending the archaeological trail, including an area previously
closed to visitors.

Planting of extensive gardens to improve the appearance of the park.

Conversion of a major portion of the trail from a paved road to an
attractive path.

Creation of a parking area.

Creation of a picnic area.

New signage.

Remodeling of the site museum.

Installation of a water distribution system throughout the park for
the gardens, and repairs to pumps and cisterns.

These actions are described below with photographs, when
possible using "before and after" views.

Conservation

Upon beginning our involvement at Joya de Cerén in 2005,
we found the following situations regarding conservation of the archaeological
structures:

The structures were constantly being modified with new plaster and
minor reconstructions. These procedures resulted in irreversible changes
affecting the authenticity of the structures.

The structures were being sprayed with water on a daily basis using
a water hose or backpack sprayers. This caused constant cycles of wetting
and drying in the structures, leading to generalized cracking and progressive
loss of their surfaces, particularly evident in those areas in contact
with tephra which acts as a sponge to retain moisture.

The water applied with sprayers sometimes had an infusion of sap from
the escobilla plant (Sida acuta), with the rational that this
sticky substance aids in consolidating the structures. Two laboratory
studies (one by the Smithsonian Institute and the other by the Getty
Conservation Institute) have shown that the infusion (in the concentration
used at Joya de Cerén) had no consolidating properties whatsoever.

The structures were sweep daily with brooms made of stiff straw, resulting
in unnecessary superficial erosion.

The former practice of spraying the fragile earth
structures with water is shown in this photograph from May,
2005 (Structure 3).

Structure 3 with its base and surrounding ground surface saturated
with water. One study undertaken at the site attributed the moisture
to capillary movement from the water table. In reality, soil studies
here have shown that the water table is much too deep for this to
happen. The actual cause was the practice of wetting down the structures
and, to a lesser degree, the penetration of rain water.

The temascal (Structure 9) after having been sprayed
with water, leaving its base literally dripping. This photograph
was taken in March, one of the driest months of the year. The practice
of wetting the ancient structures had been in effect for over a
decade when CONCULTURA ordered its suspension acting on recommendations
by FUNDAR.

One of many examples of a structure with surface degradation and
loss. The former practice of wetting the structures was the main
cause of this damage.

The Round Table to Reach a Consensus
on Conservation Measures for Joya de Cerén

In May, 2005, it was agreed to suspend any direct contact with the ancient
structures, including the practices of spraying with water, sweeping,
and restorations. A meeting of experts was planned in order to reach a
consensus on the routine conservation measures recommended for Joya de
Cerén, which had never been defined.

This workshop was organized by CONCULTURA and FUNDAR, and was called
the Round Table to Reach a Consensus on Conservation Measures
for Joya de Cerén. Several sessions were held at the site
and at the National Museum of Anthropology. The participants included
experts in the conservation of earth structures and those government officials
responsible for the administration of Joya de Cerén:

NAME

AFILLIATION IN 2005

Federico Hernández

President of CONCULTURA

Héctor Ismael Sermeño

National Director of Cultural Heritage, CONCULTURA

Gregorio Bello Suazo

Archaeologist, Director of the National Museum of Anthropology,
CONCULTURA

Irma Flores

Architect with a MA in conservation, Coordinator of Historic
Zones and Sites, CONCULTURA

Fabricio Valdivieso

Archaeologist, Head of the Departament of Archaeology, CONCULTURA

Fabio Amador

Archaeologist, National University of El Salvador, founding
member of FUNDAR

The meeting recognized that it is not possible to predetermine all the
actions necessary or appropriate for conservation at this site because
these depend on many variables, on funding, on advances in the field of
conservation, and many other factors. On finalizing the meeting, however,
several routine conservation measures were agreed upon which are considered
applicable to Joya de Cerén. Click
here to read the consensus (PDF document in Spanish, 30kb).

The consensus supports the permanent suspension of those practices recognized
as negative, including wetting and sweeping the structures, and carrying
out unnecessary reconstructions, including so called "sacrifice"
plasters which, as they flake away, also carry off original portions of
the structures.

Most of the measures agreed upon have been put into effect: environmental
monitoring, repair of leaking roofs, construction of new roofs, and sealing
off areas with wire mesh to keep animals out of the structures
(these conservation measures are described below under Park
Improvements). A pending measure of great importance is the acquisition
of land surrounding the present archaeological park.

Environmental monitoring. Six HOBO sensors have been
installed which record temperature and relative humidity every hour.

Impermeabilization
to Protect the Structures in Area 2

The structures in Area 2, including the temascal (Structure 9), were
very affected by moisture. This was generally due to the same practice
of spraying with water. But during the rainy season, this area had a much
more severe problem to the extent that water actually flowed across the
surface.

Extreme Moisture Problems in Area 2

The temascal and other structures in this area
would become exceptionally saturated with water during the rainy
season, and at times water would flow over the ancient ground
level (here covered with a thin protective layer of a few inches
of imported white volcanic ash ("tierra blanca").
When we inspected this situation during rainstorms, we found
that water was seeping forth from the excavations cuts. We concluded
that the rain water falling on the surface outside of the protective
roof was penetrating through the tephra until reaching one of
its dense layers, and then the water flowed almost horizontally
on top of the layer, following its gentle downslope towards
the west until pouring out at the excavation cuts.

The foregoing indicated a possible solution: impermeabilizing the ground
surface east of Area 2.

Using black plastic sheets, we covered approximately 450 square meters
(about 4,800 square feet) of the surface east of Area 2. Then we covered
the plastic with a layer of earth and planted ground cover to for stabilization
and to make it more attractive. Thus protected from the Sun, this plastic
will last for years to come. Water no longer pours from the excavation
cuts, and although the humidity increases seasonally, it is a
much more manageable situation. This impermeabilization requires maintenance
of its ground cover to hold the soil over the sheeting.

Impermeabilization to Protect Area 2

Clockwise from above: Emplacement of plastic sheeting
and earth; the stabilizing ground cover; and the present appearance
of the impermeabilized area.

The rain falling on this area flows into drainage
channels.

The gentlemen in the photographs are Rafael Amaya
(Park Administrator, FUNDAR) and Antonio Menjivar (Head of Joya
de Cerén, CONCULTURA).

Stabilization
of an Excavation Cut

We found a collapsing excavation cut located just east of Structure 3.
It was located outside of the protective roofs, and had been severely
eroded after many years of tropical rainy seasons. A notable collapse
took place during the heavy rains of October, 2005. FUNDAR stabilized
this cut for the protection of the archaeological site.

BEFORE

The collapse. This was originally a straight and vertical cut,
but it was very eroded after over a decade of exposure to the
weather. The prolonged rains in October, 2005, lead to a notable
collapse.

In order to stabilize this cut, first we built a retaining wall
and compacted earth behind it.

Parting from the retaining wall, we created a sloped surface
of compacted earth, made with a stable inclination of 45 degrees.

We then planted ground cover to minimize erosion of this new surface.

NOW

The stabilized cut..

Archaeologist Specialized
in Conservation

Archaeologist Claudia Ramírez (Department of Archaeology,
CONCULTURA) has specialized in the conservation of earth architecture,
with emphasis in Joya de Cerén. She is conducting studies concerning this
site's structures, including condition assessments and conservation procedures.

Elimination of Hazardous Vertical
Cuts in Tephra

One of the first recommendations made many years ago for
the conservation of Joya de Cerén was to reduce or eliminate the tall
vertical (or nearly vertical) excavation cuts which were left next to
some of the structures, and Structure 4 was singled out as being at greatest
risk. The vertical cuts made in the unstable tephra could collapse at
any time, and especially so during any of the earthquakes which are common
in this part of the world. Soils specialist Enrique Melara was the first
to raise the alarm about this risk to Joya de Cerén in his report distributed
in 2001, but years went by with no response. A limiting factor was the
fact that Structure 4 was covered by a poorly built provisional roof which
was itself a hazard. This roof was supported right next to the vertical
cuts.

In 2008, the provisional roof over Structure 4 was replaced
with a much larger permanent roof which is now joined with the adjacent
roof over Structure 3. At the beginning of 2009, FUNDAR submitted a proposal
to CONCULTURA for the reduction and elimination of the vertical cuts surrounding
Structure 4. We proposed to completely eliminate the thick "wall"
of tephra separating Structures 3 and 4. This "wall" nearly
touched Structure 4 and its elimination would reduce the risk to both
structures and allow their joint visualization by visitors. A general
opinion exists that this would also improve the environmental conditions
for Structure 4. The vertical excavation cuts surrounding the other three
sides of Structure 4 would be reduced to a more stable slope of about
45 degrees. According to our proposal, the Department of Archaeology would
supervise workers hired by FUNDAR. Work was begun in May, 2009, with 7
workers provided by FUNDAR under the supervision of Claudia Ramírez and
later Liuba Morán, both of whom are Archaeologists with the Department
of Archaeology.

Update: this important conservation
work was suspended in January, 2010, by the first administration of the
Secretaría de Cultura. After a lapse of many months, the work was resumed
under the new administration of Secretary of Cultura Dr. Héctor Samour,
and presently (December, 2010) the work continues.

Profile from west (left) to east
showing the excavation cuts next to Structures 3 and 4. The potential
collapse of these vertical cuts represents a grave hazard for these prehispanic
structures, especially number 4. The ancient ground surface has a marked
downslope between Structures 3 and 4.

In this view from 2005, Structure
4 is shown surrounded by unstable vertical cuts of tephra, just as they
were left by the archaeological excavations conducted over a decade ago.
The cuts reach over 6 meters in height and even a partial collapse could
drop tons of tephra on this fragile structure. Structure 3 is towards
the right (east), on the other side of the large "wall" of tephra
which almost touches Structure 4. The points of light on the floor of
the excavation are from the numerous holes which then existed in the roof
over this area, through which rainwater also flowed to the detriment of
the ancient structure.

A view similar to the previous photo,
taken in the second half of 2009. . Several people are excavating the
"wall" of tephra separating Structures 3 and 4. Here Structure
4 has been sheltered to avoid any damage during the work.

Photograph taken on the "wall"
of tephra mentioned above.

Protecting
the ancient structures from animals

While the archaeological structures have been covered by
four shelters for many years, none of these roofs had its sides enclosed
to prevent the entrance of animals which damage the ancient features.
These include:

Birds. In general, their droppings foul the structures. Before the
practice was suspended by FUNDAR in 2005, in the past the structures
were periodically "cleaned" by scraping the droppings off
with metal spatulas, which also scraped away part of the structures
themselves. Some birds, particularly the torogoz (El Salvador's national
bird), excavate their nests in vertical cuts of loose tephra which can
cause damage to the structures.

Bats. They also deposit guano on the structures. While hanging from
the roofs, they feed on fruit and drop the seeds which can impact and
damage delicate surfaces of the structures.

Foxes. Foxes are relatively common in this area. They are prone to
digging and have caused notable damage to the structures. Raccoons and
rabbits cause similar damage and have also been noted in the vicinity
of the ancient structures.

Despite the fact that damage caused by animals was recognized
as a major conservation problem since about 1990, no measures were ever
taken to prevent them. When FUNDAR began its participation in the management
of Joya de Cerén, we proposed to completely enclose Area 1 (the largest
of the four areas) with lateral structures which would have sealed it
off from light and insects (certain insects are also a problem at the
site, as they nest by excavating small holes or constructing mud nests
which adhere to the ancient structures). We believed that this would have
been an optimal solution. The absence of light would prevent the growth
of problematic algae, moss and other green plants. Lights would be turned
on only while entering with groups of visitors. The guides could have
illuminated successive structures in order to discuss each one, and with
appropriate lighting this would have been a dramatic experience. Ventilators
located high on the roof could help regulate the temperature, as could
a thermal coat on the roof itself. Sadly, due to several reasons (mostly
funding), it was not feasible to implement this concept at the time.

In 2006, we installed lights over the ancient structures
to keep bats from roosting. The lights were automatically activated by
photocells. These were fairly effective for bats but did nothing to discourage
visits by other animals.

Although our original enclosure concept remained beyond
reach, in 2009 we implemented an alternative concept for Area 1 with excellent
results. We enclosed the sides of the roof with fine mesh, which is practically
invisible (helped by its green paint) but works to prevent entry of the
animals mentioned above. The mesh is supported on unobtrusive steel frames.
The mesh needs periodic maintenance, including a new coat of anticorrosive
paint each year and any necessary repairs.

The torogoz is a
beautiful bird, but it tunnels its nests into the vertical cuts of
volcanic ash which loosens them and can also affect the ancient structures.
Its scientific name is Eumomota superciliosa. Another name
used in El Salvador for the torogoz is talapo.

LEFT: A fox has
left its tracks on the cornfield next to Structure 6.

RIGHT: Antonio Menjivar points to damage
caused by foxes on Structure 6, where they opened a hole in an area
that was apparently previously excavated, since the displaced earth
contained shreds of plastic and fabric.

Bats hang from the roof beams and drop guano
and seeds on the ancient structures. These photos show Structure
7. Left: The red circles frame fallen seeds on the structure, while
the solid dots mark seeds on the surrounding surface. On occasion,
the impact of a seed is forceful enough to damage a structure. Right:
A closeup of the structure showing seeds and guano.

Most of the seeds are of the tree
called "almendro de río" (Andira inermis). Bats eat
the pulp and discard the large seeds.

As a provisional measure to keep
bats from roosting, in 2006 we installed automatic lights over the archaeological
structures. This view shows some of the 12 lamps installed in Area 1.
While effective against bats, the lights did not discourage other animals.

In 2009, FUNDAR enclosed Area 1 using some
350 square meters of fine mesh (including 2 doors) in order to prevent
the entrance of animals. The mesh is nearly invisible. Appearing
in the photo (from left to right) are Francisco Campos (master mechanic),
Rodrigo Brito (President of FUNDAR), and Antonio Menjívar (head
de Joya de Cerén).

The enclosure has been very
effective. FUNDAR had proposed to do the same with the other areas
at Joya de Cerén, which currently remain unprotected.

Park
Improvements

In collaboration with the Government between 2005 and 2009,
FUNDAR has carried out many changes at Joya de Cerén. In addition, during
2008, CONCULTURA obtained government funding in order to contract special
projects at Joya de Cerén and San Andrés, and they allowed us to participate
in planning the use of those funds. At Joya de Cerén the special projects
included: 1) a new roof to protect Structure 4, 2) the conversion of an
asphalt street into a pedestrian trail, 3) construction of a decorative
wall to improve the appearance of the park, 4) remodeling of the site
museum, and 5) construction of a new ticket booth.

2008: The conversion of an asphalt
street into a pedestrian trail was one of the special projects at Joya
de Cerén. From left to right: Architect Irma Flores (CONCULTURA, supervisor
of the special projects at Joya de Cerén and San Andrés), Rodrigo Brito
(FUNDAR), Architect Víctor Barrientos (CONCULTURA, project supervisor,
Rafael Amaya (FUNDAR), Antonio Menjívar (Head of Joya de Cerén), and Architect
Salvador Torres (representative of the one of the contractors, Pórtico
Ingenieros S.A. de C.V.).

These special projects and work by FUNDAR are illustrated
below with "before and after" photographs. We begin with the
park entrance, followed by the parking areas, the museum, the archaeological
trail, and finally the roofs which protect the prehispanic structures.

Entrance

BEFORE

The park entrance was nearly indistinguishable
from its surroundings. Its worn gates were the same used sin the
1970s when the area was used for silos.

To either side of the gate extending rusting cyclone fence set
on cement posts, with irregular repairs of barbed wire.

A deteriorated sign marked the entrance to El Salvador's only
World Heritage site.

AFTER

The park is now much more welcoming to visitors.
It has a decorative wall of volcanic tuff blocks and a new gate.

New signs indicate 100 meters to the park, and the
entrance itself.

BEFORE

The ticket booth was located
on the wrong side of the entrance. It was small and uncomfortable
for the fee collectors.

The signs were crudely painted and in poor condition.

AFTER

The new ticket booth is located
on the correct side for interacting with drivers. It is much
larger.

The sign is bilingual (Spanish and English) and
provides more information.

Parking
and Picnic Areas

BEFORE

One of the first sights for visitors to the park
was this: the ugly cement bases which once supported grain silos,
all surrounded by weeds.

Vehicles were parked in another area, where ground
penetrating radar had detected an important buried anomaly (possibly
a prehispanic structure).

AFTER

FUNDAR filled in the spaces between the concrete
bases with compacted earth and covered the area with paving
blocks in order to transform this eyesore into a parking area
for cars (buses have a separate parking area).

We converted the zone with an anomaly (mentioned
above) into a picnic area (below).

Orientation Spot

BEFORE

Another eyesore which greeted park visitors was
this old pump house.

The arid appearance of this view was typical of
the entire park, in which there was very little effort at gardening.

AFTER

We covered the pump house with "vara de castilla"
cane (used in traditional houses), and we placed two interpretative
signs in front (bilingual). We raised a flag and reset here
a commemorative plaque naming Joya de Cerén as a World Heritage
site.

This has now become an orientation spot for park
visitors.

Site
Museum

BEFORE

The Joya de Cerén Site Museum occupied a fairly
new building (2003), but visitors compared its design with a
shoe box.

In spite of the height of the building as viewed
from outside, its interior was limited by a low ceiling and
relatively little floor space. This space was split up by the
use of permanent partitions. The partitions made guarding the
museum more difficult. In fact, the two thefts of artifacts
from the museum (1997 and 2004) were from display cases hidden
from the guard's view behind these partitions.

The museum had 2 access doors, one at each end
of the building, something that also weakened security. One
door served as the entrance and the other as the exit.

AFTER

The museum has been remodeled. The interior space
was increased by 25%. The internal partitions were removed and
the entrance and exit are now together, all contributing to
security.

The two projections on this side of the building
are new. One is for use by the park guides, and the other is
for a future museum store.

The museum is presently closed while new exhibits
are prepared.

Snack Bar

BEFORE

The snack bar was in bad shape.

AFTER

The ceiling was repaired and equipped with lamps.
The lattice bricks on the sides were removed in order to open
up an unnecessarily confining space.

Zonification

BEFORE

Park visitors entered the archaeological zone
without supervision.

AFTER

The park now has zonification of uses. Visitors
may only enter the archaeological zone with a park guide (identified
by their yellow uniforms).

The guides provide interpretation of the site
and also supervise their groups to avoid any damage to the structures
or installations. A guard is stationed in the archaeological
zone for support purposes.

Before the involvement of FUNDAR, this circuit consisted basically of
a straight line, entering and exiting along the same route. It did not
include Area 2 with the temascal and other very interesting structures.
Most of the walk was along a paved street built years ago for trucks.
Visitors had to view the ancient structures through cage-like barriers
supported on rusted posts made of salvaged iron.

Now the circuit is three times as long and includes Area 2. The circuit
loops through the site, without passing over any segment twice. Handrails
have replaced the former cage-like barriers. The paved street has been
transformed into a pedestrian path. The whole trail, like the park in
general, is now flanked by gardens, with flowering plants as well as cacao
trees and other traditional crops so that visitors may learn first-hand
about our agricultural heritage.

BEFORE

The blue line indicates the archaeological trail as
it existed up to 2005.

AFTER

Between 2005 and 2009, FUNDAR extended the trail by
a factor of 3, including the formerly "restricted" Area
2. Access is now through a control gate (red). The new parking area
is marked in green.

BEFORE

Most of the "trail" consisted in this
asphalt street.

AFTER

This segment of the trail has been converted into
a pedestrian path surrounded by gardens.

BEFORE

This was the end of the trail at Joya de Cerén:
a cage-like dead end of cyclone fencing pegged to posts made
of scraps of iron (Area 1).

The part of the roof to the right was of "provisional"
construction with buckled sheet metal and rotted pine wood.

AFTER

This former dead end is now part of the trail
circuit. The "cage" has been replaced with handrails.
The precarious improvised roof section has been replaced with
a solid structure.

BEFORE

Park visitors had to shuffle along a narrow access
limited to one side of Area 1 (the largest archaeological area).
They had to strain to see the archaeological structures in the
gaps between tarps which had been hung to "protect"
the structures. The interior of this area was consequently kept
in gloomy darkness.

AFTER

The same view. Now visitors walk commodiously
around 3 of the 4 sides of Area 1, with full views of its 5
structures. Skylights now allow everything to be seen with clarity.
A huge new roof extension (visible on the left) now gives real
protection against wind and the driving rain that commonly come
from this north side.

BEFORE

Area 2, with the temascal and other structures,
was inexplicably off-limits as a "restricted zone"
Only VIP visitors were allowed.

This photo was taken when we began to set up posts
and ropes to include this area in the archaeological trail.

AFTER

The same area, now in use as part of the trail
surrounded by gardens. We have painted many of the sheet metal
roofs green in order to make them less obtrusive.

BEFORE

This is another new segment of the trail made
in order to include Area 2. Here the segment has been begun,
removing unsightly cement posts.

AFTER

The same view with the trail segment finished.

We have planted more than 80 cacao trees next to the trail.
Left: Karen Bruhns in the "cacahuatal" (cacao plantation) at
Joya de Cerén. Right: ripe cacao pods. The archaeological excavations
at this site have discovered cacao seeds and the cavity left in volcanic
ash of an actual cacao tree which was growing next to Structure 4. The
park guides use these plants as living interpretative resources to help
explain daily life at Joya de Cerén.

Feliciano Torres is one of the people responsible for
Joya de Cerén's extensive gardens. He is posing next to "malanga"
(Xanthosoma spp.) plants along the trail.

Before the introduction of commercial hybrids, several traditional
varieties of maize were sown in El Salvador. These have been poorly documented.
One variety that remains fairly common is called "maíz negrito"
(black corn) because its use in a traditional beverage called "chuco".
Its name is due to the dark color (actually dark purple) of its grains.
Another traditional variety of corn is known as "maíz nacional"
(national corn). Feliciano Torres strives to keep both varieties planted
along the trail.

Other traditional cultigens found archaeological at Joya
de Cerén include varieties of squash and beans. Visitors can see living
examples of both, depending on the season of the year. The type of bean
on the left is called "frijol mica" (monkey bean) and its morphology
is similar to some of the beans found in excavation. Squash (on the left)
is known in El Salvador by the Nahua-derived word "ayote", while
in Mexico and most other Spanish speaking countries the word "calabaza"
is used.

Roofs for Protection
of the Prehispanic Structures

The negligent condition of Joya de Cerén in 2005 was most
notable in the roofs built to protect the prehispanic structures from
the rain. There were 3 industrial "permanent" roofs, and one
of improvised construction that was recognized in 1997 as being so precarious
that its potential failure represented an immediate threat to the structure
it was meant to protect (Structure 4).

BEFORE

Structure 4 was "protected" by a precarious
improvised roof, identified since 1997 as in danger of collapse.
This roof appears here, along with the beginnings of a new roof.

AFTER

The new roof as finished (2009) after dismantlement
and removal of the old roof. Architect Irma Flores, construction
supervisor, appears here. The new roof is joined to that covering
Structure 3. The vertical excavation cuts surrounding both prehispanic
structures may now be eliminated or modified to stable slopes.

Archaeological excavations had to
be carried out before building the columns for the new roof. Archaeologist
Claudia Ramírez (Departament of Archaeology)) was in charge of this investigation,
with the participation of Archeologist Claudia Alfaro of the Department
of Investigations of the National Museum (MUNA).

Although they are of very solid construction, the 3 industrial
roofs had several shortcomings:

General lack of tensors which are essential for the stability of this
type of roof.

In Area 1, tarps were used to cover its north side for protection
against wind and driving rain. In addition to being ineffectual, the
tarps blocked the view of the archaeological structures.

The interior of all 3 roofs was dark and made viewing and photography
of the structures very difficult.

We began with an evaluation of the industrial roofs with
a structural engineer, Juan Kerrinckx.

The first recommendation was to add tensors to the 3 roofs,
these being necessary for their stability.

Improvements to the Roof of Area 2

BEFORE

The roof over Area 2 had a large extension in
its western side, supported on rotted pine wood and covered
by deformed sheet metal full of holes.

AFTER

We built a new roof extension supported on a steel
framework, covering 350 square meters (approximately 3,800 square
feet).

BEFORE

Area 2 was so dark that visitors could hardly make
out the ancient structures. One "measure" taken was
to remove sheet metal from the rear of the structure, adding glare
but little visibility. It also brought the temascal into direct
contact with sunlight, which was probably not advisable.

AFTER

FUNDAR installed skylights which now ensure suitable
illumination.

Improvements to the Roof of Area 1

Area 1 has the largest number of prehispanic structures
(5). Here we built new roof extensions on each of its 4 sides, with a
total area of over 600 square meters (approximately 6,500 square feet).

BEFORE

The north side of Area 1 was the only part accessible
to visitors. Driving rains normally come from the north, and
this side was "protected" using tarps. In addition
to being ineffectual, the tarps blocked viewing of the ancient
structures.

AFTER

We built a very large roof extension supported
on a steel framework and equipped with skylights (see additional
photos under The Archaeological Trail).

These photos show the framework, the roof as finished
with skylights, and the roof with the asphalt street transformed
into a pedestrian trail.

BEFORE

The western end of the roof covering Area 1.

AFTER

We replaced it with solid construction.

BEFORE

The eastern end of the roof covering Area 1.

AFTER

Our solid new roof extension covers much more
space. The additional area will allow the excavation cut next
to Structure 12 to be reduced to a stable angle (its potential
collapse has been recognized as a threat to the structure).

BEFORE

The southern end of the roof covering Area 1.

AFTER

In a first stage, we repaired the existing roof.
We later built an 8 meter extension in this side, removing the
old roof. This is sufficiently wide to prevent entry of rain.

The extension now allows visitors to see luxuriant
vegetation as a backdrop to the structures. The archaeological
trail now courses along 3 sides of Area 1.

BEFORE

Area 1 was very gloomy indeed. This photo shows
Structure 10 with its base wet (because of the former practice
of spraying down the structures), adorned with safety tape and
a crude sign. An out of place banner is visible in the background.

AFTER

Structure 10 is now illuminated by a skylight, with
tape, sign, and banner removed. The roof extension is visible
in the background. FUNDAR installed skylights in Areas 1, 2, and
3.